


Persecution Complex

by butbolded



Category: Dead by Daylight (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, M/M, an au idea i had when falling asleep at 8am, i dont have plans for spicy scenes but they might happen, i write about the trapper a lot apparently, its gonna get angsty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:08:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24767473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butbolded/pseuds/butbolded
Summary: As if things weren't hard enough in this place, a new disease is spreading through the survivors.Nothing like your common cold, of course. It's never that simple.Though it seems, the killers weren't prepared for this either.The game has changed, and bonds will be broken.We pray, but does God hear us?---Rating may change, and Tags & Characters will be added along the way.
Relationships: David King/Evan MacMillan | The Trapper
Comments: 5
Kudos: 20





	Persecution Complex

It had been some time since the first incident of increased hostility amongst the group. What should have been a small and insignificant disagreement had escalated way beyond a normal one. To David’s surprise, he wasn’t one of the parties involved. The discomfort and distrust amongst the survivors seemed to be heavy ever since a good chunk of the killers had seemingly stopped sacrificing them to the Entity. 

It was a slow and subtle start to the killers abandoning the routine, but it had gotten to the point where most trials went by quickly and quietly. The killers who stopped the slaughtering would sit off in the corner of the trials, and watch the more curious survivors go by and slink around. If a survivor got too close, they’d chase them off and go right back to their corner. Though some killers still stuck to routinely sacrificing as normal. Or, well, as normal as this place can be.

Something was afoot in this realm, and David wasn’t sure if it was for the better. The campfire used to be a place of unity, and comfort and comradery between trials. Lately, though, it’s been tense and mostly silence. Most of the never ending addition of survivors kept to themselves or slinked off into the woods to be alone now. It was aggravating. How are they supposed to figure out what’s going on if no one is even willing to talk to one another? 

The trials against the killers who still come after them have been exceedingly taxing since everyone, it seems, has no desire to help or communicate with one another. Off hand comments have been made about, “why does it matter? We live after the trials over anyways” as if the pain of being torn apart down to the very fiber of your being and consumed by the Entity, only to be reassembled and forced to do it again and again wasn’t excruciating beyond mortal principles.

Aggravation itched around David’s head like prickling pins, but he forced himself to remain at the fire. He refused to be like the ones who isolated themselves in woods nowadays. Glancing around the vicinity, only a few of them lingered. Jeff, who seemed the most level headed out of the bunch, was trying to keep a conversation going. No one seemed to be able to anymore.

Unable to motivate himself to care about the vapid talk from Jeff, David glanced at their leader who sat beside himself. Dwight was never particularly good at covering his troubled emotions, but amidst the chaos of late he seemed to be trying harder than normal. Given the distant and almost empty stare, David could tell Dwight had clocked out of the conversation as well. He was exhausted, everyone was. That never deterred Dwight from pushing himself, though.

Giving the nervous leader a light nudge, David was startled to see how badly Dwight flinched from it. Dwight not only seemed startled, but frightened.

“Y’ good, mate?” David asked cautiously. Dwight's sudden and aggressive jolt had gotten the attention of the other survivors around the fire.

After some time of looking David deeply in the eyes, Dwight finally managed, “I’m fine.” though his voice shook slightly. “I’m fine…” he repeated, though it seemed more for himself than anything. The shaken leader cast his gaze into the fire before him.

He knew Dwight was not fine, but he didn’t want to push it. No one seemed fine anymore. The feeling of hopelessness rose in David, which only converted itself into frustration and anger. Making a face, David forced himself to stare into the flames of the crackling fire and try to drown out the thumping in his head. When did things get so dismal?

Sure, it was always pretty dismal here, given the circumstances. However before they at least had each other to rely on. Now it felt like every man for themselves. 

Everyone had settled back into the uncomfortable silence of ignoring each other. Jeff had all but given up on his pointless conversation that no one was really listening to when a crisp coldness coiled around David. Another trial. 

Looking up to glance around the fire he noticed one other person looking up as well. A recent addition to the group named Zarina. She had barely tasted the “normalcy” of the trials before the killers had decided to change things up. Not only was everything new to her, she had no real guidance from anyone now. No one knew what was happening, nor did anyone want to put in the effort.

Taking it upon himself to announce the start of the trial, David spoke up, “Trials starting”

No one really paid much mind to his announcement, which further irked David. Lip twitching into a sort of frown, he looked to his side and saw a broken and worried Dwight staring back. 

\---

When the scenery finally formed into physicality, the sickly green tinted area gave away that they were taken to the wreck yard. Glancing around for any sign of the other trial goers, David spotted an unset bear trap nearby. The Trapper, then. 

The Trapper was one of the killers who had ceased the bloodshed. This meant the trial would be over fairly fast, as long as he kept to his corner as usual. For a moment, David wondered if it would be possible to approach him and try to ask what in the fresh Hell was going on.

Scoffing at the thought, David set off to find his first generator. In no time at all a generator had popped to life across the map. Bee-lining for the gas station a ways off, David heard the familiar crank of gears being worked on inside. Hesitating for a moment, David wondered if he should even try to help the survivor inside. He didn’t know who it was, and some of the survivors had developed a nasty case of attitude when approached by others in a trial.

Essentially saying “fuck it” David decided to go in anyways. Some of these lads needed to get their heads out of their asses. A little teamwork never killed anybody. Surprised at his own feelings on that matter, David shrugged it off for now. He needed to focus and get out of the trial. While The Trapper seemed to stop caring about killing the lot of them, it didn’t make him any less of a threat. 

Popping his head into the garage, David spotted the police officer with his back to him. The generator was nicely nestled against a broken down car, and the officer mindlessly went to work on it. Tapp was one of the lone wolves who ventured off into the woods most of the time. Though, he didn’t seem to be so hostile about being approached by others, as far as David was aware. 

Coming up beside Tapp, he settled himself on the side adjacent to the other. His unannounced arrival distracted the officer, thus causing the gen to malfunction and spark in his face. David waved off the glare he received from the older man, and kept his eyes on his work. The older man seemed to hesitate grumpily before going back to working on the generator as well.

Normally they’d be rearing to have to make a break for it if the killer was to investigate the disruption, but both sat in silent understanding that things are weird now, and The Trapper wasn’t as much a problem as before. 

Once their generator had ignited in a burst of light, Tapp moved out of the now open garage door to find the next generator. Deciding to tag along, David followed a ways behind. This had struck the sensitive nerve everyone seemed to have now, and Tapp turned and tried to shoo David off, “Just go work on another generator” he spat out bitterly

Aggravation and confusion coursed through David, “It’ll be faster if we work on’em together” 

Unable to deny that fact, Tapp growled in frustration as he turned away from David, muttering an audible, “Piss off”

This ignited the anger he’d been suppressing so desperately. It felt like a gas canister had been tossed onto the already burning flames, and had now burst from the pressure and fuel. Storming after Tapp, David heard his heart in his head, pulsing angrily. 

Slapping a firm hand on the officers shoulder and whipping him around to be face to face, David tried, and failed, to maintain a calmer tone.

“What the shite is your problem!?” at this point Tapp had roughly shrugged off his hand and glared at David. This wasn’t going to deter David though. He’d had enough of everyone acting like shitheads.

“My problem? What’s your problem? I told you to piss off!” With the last bit, Tapp made a point to shove David in the chest, causing the scrapper to stagger back. 

Pulse now blaring in his ears along with an aching itch in his consciousness to get aggressive, David could only feel the anger welling with the pounding in his head. 

“Yeah, I heard ya. I just don’t understand why you’re acting like such a wanker” 

David did a shove of his own into the officer's chest. The two glared at each other as their bodies tensed in agitation. 

No one moved for a time as the two sized each other up. Finally, as a generator coming to life nearby broke their silence, David scoffed and turned to leave the older man. This was a waste of time. He was going to find another generator by himself; to Hell with these assholes. 

A loud crack echoed through David's skull as pain blossomed from the back of his head. Stumbling forward onto his knees from the impact, David turned around in time to see Tapp winding his fist back up. 

Instincts took over from the countless brawls before this hellscape, and David rolled forward to avoid another blow. 

“Oi, you crazy cunt, what do you think you’re doing!?” David shouted as Tapp missed his swing at him, throwing the officer off balance. 

Kicking the man's legs out from under him, David successfully brought Tapp to the dirt. Bringing himself up off the ground, David took on a defensive stance. Swaying slightly from the blow to his cranium, the scrapper took a step back. 

The officer only seemed further enraged, and scrambled back to his feet. A crazed glare focused on David, which stopped the scrapper in his tracks. The trials were in near darkness, with nothing but the light of the fabricated moon or building lights to show the way. However, David could swear he saw inky black veins crawling up through Tapp's eyes. 

Before David could properly react, Tapp was charging at him. Barely dodging the tackle, David stumbled from getting clipped in the side. Watching his once comrade so desperately attack him, had David losing his ability to concentrate on turning the situation on the offensive. 

His heart screamed wildly in his head as the desire to unleash his temper grew, as he watched Tapp recover from the missed attack, only to turn and try again. Bracing for impact, a hulking figure moved from out of David's peripheral vision.

It took only a moment to register that The Trapper had moved around him, and embedded his cleaver into the older survivor. The shrill scream of pain that erupted from Tapp ripped David back to his senses. Though, in this situation he wasn’t sure how to proceed. 

Watching someone who he was supposed to protect and aid be injured had never caused such a conflicting stir of emotions in the scrapper. All he could manage to do was watch in stunned silence. 

After the first hit, Tapp had reeled back from the pain but instead of running, the officer took on a hostile stance. Almost like he was challenging the killer, Tapp released a scream laced with anger. Like a caged animal.

Not missing a beat, The Trapper swung again, cracking the deranged looking man on the skull. The older man crumpled ungracefully to the ground, uttering broken groans from the pain. Watching the gruesome scene in horror, David unconsciously spat, “Jesus Christ…” 

The Trapper didn’t move for a time, staring down at the broken man on the ground as the blood pooled out of him. A generator popping in the distance, and the sound of the gates blaring to life filled the tense silence. David briefly wondered when the fourth generator was done, but quickly snapped to attention when The Trapper finally knelt down to pick up Tapp. 

Swallowing hard, David made an attempt to to try and block The Trapper by running out in front of him. His instinct to block the killer and give his comrade more time to wiggle out of his grasp before being sacrificed had taken over, but was quickly crushed when he noticed Tapp wasn’t struggling. 

A groan across the area along with bright red consuming the ground across the wreck yard signaled that a gate had been open.The Trapper looked down at him, but didn’t move. Behind the jagged teeth of the mask, David could have sworn he saw a sympathetic frown. 

In a frustrated attempt to try and figure the chaos out, David shouted, “What the shite is going on? Why aren’t you blokes attacking? Why is everyone-” 

In a tremendous voice, bigger than Davids, the masked killer simply stated, “Leave” and maneuvered around him, heading deeper into the wreckage of stacked cars, Tapp on his shoulder.

Dumbfounded, David watched the killer disappear into the dark mist. The area groaned again, signaling time was running out. Taking off into a sprint, David followed the edge of the wall enclosing the area until an opening jutted out before him. No one was around the opened gate, and David didn’t really think they had waited for him or went to help the officer. Before he crossed the threshold of the trial gates, he heard the familiar cry of Tapp being hooked.


End file.
